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The Mandalorian Protectors
Reference Book: Star Wars Saga Edition Galaxy at War See also: GaW Military Units The history of The Mandalorians encompases tens of thousands of years, but The Mandalorian Protectors burned brightly for only a few decades. Embodying the highest ideals of their warrior culture, the Protectors were the antidote for a people who had too often slipped into the relative morality of mercenaries. The roots of the Protectors stretch back to Jaster Mereel's formation of the Mandalorian Supercommandos (Mando Ori'ramikade). During the Mandalorian Civil War of 60-34 BBY, the Protectors' ranks were split into two factions: the rebellious Death Watch and the reformist True Mandalorians of Mereel and Jango Fett. The True Mandalorians met their end at the Battle of Galidraan, but their moral teachings, embodied in the Supercommando Codex, inspired many back on Mandalore. Shortly before the Clone Wars, a rogue ARC Trooper escaped Kamino. Addled by the imprinted memories of his genetic "Parent" Jango Fett, Alpha-Ø2- better known as Spar- journeyed to Mandalore to rebuild the Supercommandos. Spar found willing recruits for his new Mandalorian Protectors among the ranks of the planetary police force, and his Protectors also attracted former members of the Death Watch. The Protectors believed Spar to be the son of Jango Fett, and as inspiration, Spar took the title Mandalore the Resurrector. The Mandalorian Protectors, 212 strong, enter the Clone Wars on the side of the Separatists, motivated by a hunger for order and by Spar's hatred of The Jedi who had orchestrated the Galidraan Massacre. The Protectors hit the Republic hard at the Battles of New Bornalex, New Holstice, Null, and Zaadja, as well as the Second Battle of Kamino. These armored warriors fight alongside 1,000 BL-Series Legionnaire Droids that had been partly designed by Fenn Shysa- a Protector rumored by some to be the true power behind the Protectors, but generally considered to be Mandalore the Resurrector's most loyal follower. Late in the war, The Mandalorian Protectors walk into an ambush on Norval II while pursuing a commission to capture Senator Amidala. All of them perish but three: Spar, Fenn Shysa, and Tobbi Dala. Spar disappears soon after, leaving Shysa and Dala to rebuild the Protectors. The two begin training elements of Mandalore's elite police force, starting a covert war against the Imperial slaving operation that had co-opted the Mandalorian government following the war's conclusion. The slavers, led by a being known as the Suprema, confiscates the armor from Mandalore's citizens. Despite this, Shysa works tirelessly to turn his recruits into worthy successors of the force that died at Norval II. Occasionally taking victimless mercenary jobs to fund his efforts, Shysa leads the rebuilt Protectors to victory just before the Battle of Endor. Tobbi Dala sacrifices himself in order to destroy the City of Bone and to kill the Suprema. Afterword, Shysa focuses all of his energy on restoring The Mandalorian Protectors. With armor, weapons, and hundreds of Mandalorians newly freed from slavery, Shysa accepts a commission from the Rebellion and assembles a force to aid Princess Leia Organa in the Rebels' post-Endor fight against the Nagai and the Tofs. Although they are primarily known in the wider galaxy as a mercenary unit, The Mandalorian Protectors function largely as a home guard patrolling the borders of the Mandalorian Sector. After ousting Grand Admiral Takel from Mandalorian Space, the Protectors restore their ranks to full strength. In 5 ABY, they aid General Luke Skywalker during the Inner Rim Campaign against Lord Shadowspawn. Many believe that the era of The Mandalorian Protectors ended with Shysa's death on Shogun in 21 ABY. Although Boba Fett succeeds Shysa as Mandalore, he does not continue the Protector tradition and leads the group as a purely mercenary force. Methods The Mandalorian Protectors are motivated by their adherence to the high moral standards of the Supercommando Codex. The Codex contains hundreds of commandments, resurrecting and modernizing the forgotten Canons of Honor. The Canons are a text of laws extrapolated from the fundamental Six Actions (Resol'nare) of Mandalorian culture: wear armor, speak the Mandalorian language, defend oneself and one's family, raise one's children as Mandalorians, contribute to the welfare of the clan, and respond to any order handed down by the ruling Mandalore. During the Clone Wars, Spar leads The Mandalorian Protectors into battle as a Separatist shock force. The Confederacy of Independent Systems has relatively weak tactics, relying on sheer Battle Droid volume to overwhelm Republic forces. In contrast, the Protectors use superior weapons and training to decimate Republic formations. Spar's inside knowledge of Clone Trooper operations prompts him to deploy the Protectors as a blitzkrieg force. They order their BL-Series Legionnaire Droids to chew at the main battle line while the Protectors use Jet Packs to drop into the heart of an enemy camp and deliver the killing blow. During the post-Clone Wars era, Shysa's reconstructed Protectors have little to work with- no advanced weapons, no BL Droids, and often not even Beskar'gam Armor. The ragged insurgents use their police training to wage a guerrilla war against the Imperial slavers that hold their homeworld in chains. After Endor, a revived force of Mandalorian Protectors returns to the high-risk, high-damage tactics that had earned them fame in the Clone Wars. Missions The Mandalorian Protectors were formed in response to the overtly mercenary ways of other Mandalorians and are reluctant to take jobs for pay. During the Clone Wars, the Protectors believe that they are fighting for the good guys, and their actions epitomize history's view that this war has heroes on both sides. Separatist commanders call in the Protectors when they need to eliminate stubborn enemies. If a Republic stronghold holds out for months despite wave after wave of Battle Droids assailing its walls, for example, commanders requisition The Mandalorian Protectors. With only 212 members, the Protectors are in high demand; when they show up, they often eliminate the problem in less than a day. Fenn Shysa's postwar Protectors are an insurgent force that focuses on rescuing Mandalorian slaves, harassing Imperial slaving operations, and assassinating the Suprema. These hit-and-run missions rely on the Protectors' familiarity with Mandalore's jungles, which enables the Protectors to vanish when the Imperials mount a counterattack. After the Battle of Endor, the Protectors seem to take their name literally. They lock down the Mandalore Sector with a cloud of Pursuer-Class Enforcement Ships and a revived legion of Supercommandos. If hostile Capital Ships enter their space, the Protector board the vessel, capture its bridge, and return it to Mandalore's starport. The Protectors in the post-Endor era sometimes take for-hire assignments from outside parties. These jobs are accepted only with Mandalore Fenn Shysa's blessing, and only when the assignments do not involve harm to innocents. Rank Structure Rank is important among The Mandalorian Protectors, reflecting as it does the traditions of their disciplined warrior culture and the values of respect and obedience. The lowest rank among The Mandalorian Protectors is Private (Verd'ika), a role that often centers around infantry duty. The next highest rank is Corporal (Alor'uus), followed by Sergeant (Ruus'alor). The Mandalorian Protector's officer corps ranks begins with Lieutenant (Ver'alor), followed by Captain (Alor'ad) and Commander (Al'verde). All officers are known as Alor in Mando'a. The Protectors are not necessarily natives of Mandalore. Membership requires only that an individual follow the Six Actions and the teachings of the Supercommando Codex. All Mandalorians belong to a clan, but such clans do not specifically influence rank or deployment. All Mandalorian Protectors take their orders from commander-in-chief Mandalore (Spar during the Clone Wars, Fenn Shysa until 21 ABY). The government of Mandalore is a potent entity in its own right. Its ambitious members are capable of consolidating power over matters at home while the Protectors are off fighting battles. Protector Nonheroic Units See also: Nonheroic Units Protector Vehicles See also: Vehicles